


Waiting For Player Two

by thehibiscusthief



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff, On Hiatus, because there aren't enough yt fics in this fandom, dating sims, gaming channels, horror games, surprisingly a plot has appeared, youtube au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-24
Updated: 2016-11-01
Packaged: 2018-07-26 09:39:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7569235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thehibiscusthief/pseuds/thehibiscusthief
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From: ladyluckofficial@gmail.com<br/>To: chattychatnoir@gmail.com<br/>Subject: Collaboration Proposal<br/>Hi Chat Noir,<br/>My name is Ladybug, and I run the gaming channel LadyLuck. We seem to share a lot of fans who all beg for a collab. I was thinking maybe we could give it a shot? Email me back, and then we can get the details sorted!<br/>-Ladybug</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 1

_ChattyChatNoir uploaded_

**Hatoful Boyfriend Pt 12**

 

“Bonjour, mes amis! Today we're back with the much anticipated wooing of Kazuaki Nanaki. You know, I'm really nervous right now. You could say I'm quailing in fear!”

 

Pausing the video, Marinette sighed. Of course the YouTuber half her fans thought she was secretly dating cracked crappy puns. She stared at the screen displaying cheery pink graphics, wondering whether it was really worth it to reach out for a collab.

She picked up her phone, automatically dialing her best friend Alya’s number.

_“So? Did he say yes to the collab, girl?”_

“Well…” Marinette began, biting her lip as she looked at her screen.

_“You did send the email, right? You didn't chicken out?”_

“Alya, his most popular video is a bird dating sim. I'm not sure we'd work well together,” Marinette said, resting her forehead on her hand.

_“And your most popular video is twenty minutes of you screaming your ass off. I see no problems.”_

“Alya, I don't want to collab with someone who spends fifty videos flirting with birds!” Marinette protested, spinning away from her desk.

_“If you say so, girl. Oh, uh, you know I have the password to the official LadyLuck email, right?”_

“You wouldn't,” Marinette breathed, eyes going wide. No reply came from her friend except the sound of frenzied typing. “Alya, please!”

_“And sent! Girl, you'd better start choosing what game to play.”_

“We're not friends anymore,” Marinette groaned.

_“Love you too!”_

 

)|(

 **From:** [ ladyluckofficial@gmail.com ](mailto:ladyluckofficial@gmail.com)

**To:** [chattychatnoir@gmail.com](mailto:chattychatnoir@gmail.com)

 **Subject:** Collaboration Proposal

Hi Chat Noir,

My name is Ladybug, and I run the gaming channel LadyLuck. We seem to share a lot of fans who all beg for a collab. I was thinking maybe we could give it a shot? Email me back, and then we can get the details sorted!

-Ladybug

 

Adrien idly scrolled through the short email. He'd certainly heard of Ladybug. His comments were filled with shippers who thought they would be perfect together and secretly he agreed. From what he'd seen of her videos, she was charming, funny and brutally honest with her opinions on games. He couldn't deny a slight crush on the YouTuber. A collab sounded like the perfect opportunity to get to know each other.

His thoughts were interrupted by his assistant yelling at him to hurry up and change.

“Right, sorry Nino. I'll be right out!” Adrien replied, quickly changing into the designs. To help his gaming habit, he still took modeling jobs occasionally. Today he was working with a new designer, rapidly making her mark on the fashion world.

Stepping out of the changing room, he was met with the sight of a petite, black haired woman rushing around the room frantically. Catching sight of him, she came to a stop and held out a hand.

“Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Agreste, my name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

“Oh, you're the designer!” he said with a smile, shaking her hand. “Sorry I took so long to get changed.”

“It's fine, I was running late anyways,” she said, waving a hand in dismissal. A cough came from the photographer, a cue to begin the shoot.

As Adrien went through the poses, he thought about Ladybug's idea. It would be a good idea, both to draw in viewers and talk to his crush. He wondered what sort of game she would suggest for the collab. If it were up to him, he would pick a dating sim to fit in with the general theme of his channel, but it might be nice to change things up a bit.

The shoot wrapped up fairly quickly. Everyone had done their job well. Walking out of the building, back in his regular clothes, he began drafting a reply.

)|(

“Alya, I met the nicest guy today,” Marinette gushed into her phone, idly spinning around in her desk chair.

“Yeah? Does this mean I have to stop setting you up on blind dates?” her friend teased.

“He's perfect!”she said, ignoring Alya's comment. “He apologized when I was the one late, complimented my designs, and is one of the most efficient models I've ever worked with!”

“A model, huh?” Alya said, a smirk in her voice.

“That’s an added benefit,” Marinette said calmly despite the blush rising on her cheeks.

“Sure it is. Girl, I know you want a piece of-”

“Hey, did I tell you Chat replied?” Marinette asked, changing the subject.

“What? No way! What'd he say?” Alya asked eagerly.

“He said yes and gave me his Skype. Tonight we'll start talking about game options,” Marinette said.

“Yes! I knew he'd go for the collab!” Alya said triumphantly.

“Your enthusiasm has nothing to do with LadyNoir being your OTP, riiight?” Marinette said, raising an eyebrow.

“Girl, you know I place your happiness over my shipping. It's just… an added benefit.”

“Turning my own words against me? Alya, how could you?” Marinette gasped.

“Part of my duties as your best friend. It's harsh, but someone's gotta do it.”

“Whatever you say, Alya.”

)|(

 **ladyluck:** so did you have any games in mind?

 **chattychatnoir:** well there is this one dating sim…

 **ladyluck:** let me guess hatoful boyfriend?

 **chattychatnoir:** of course not

 **chattychatnoir:** hatoful boyfriend is far too difficult for a beginner

 **ladyluck:** really

 **ladyluck:** we've been talking for all of two minutes and you already insult my gaming ability

 **chattychatnoir:** i don't doubt your ability, my lady, but dating sims require a different set of skills

 **ladyluck:** ill have you know i am excellent at flirting when I put my mind to it

 **ladyluck** : also, my lady?

 **chattychatnoir:** would you prefer something else

 **ladyluck:** little soon for nicknames, chaton

 **chattychatnoir:** hypocrite

 **chattychatnoir:** were there any games you wanted to try out

 **ladyluck:** have you ever heard of the pt demo?

 **chattychatnoir:** why do you hate me

)|(

_ladyblogoffical_

Ladybloggers, I've caught wind of a collab very dear to our shipper hearts. Thats right, the amazing LadyLuck and ChattyChatNoir are preparing to record together! Further details will be posted as they become available

_ladynoir4ever_

WHAT ASHJLFDLAGJKL THEYRE GONNA COLLAB IM SO HAPPY

_luckiestlady_

that's it im ready to die my life is complete

_chattyfangirl_

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

* * *

I wanted to read a yt au but there was only one so i had to write my own

mari's channel is generic youtube (im sorry mari) while Adrien's is based on PressHearttoContinue

feel free to stop by thehibiscusthief.tumblr.com (I'm on mobile so I'm not even gonna try and link that) and chat about stuff!

 


	2. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the purposes of this au, let's assume a) silent hills was never canceled (still bitter) and b) the demo is still available.  
> prior knowledge of pt is recommended  
> prior knowledge of the dating sim is not (but cryaotic and presshearttocontinue have a hilarious playthrough of two and a half routes)

**ladyluck:** when do you want to record the pt demo?

**chattychatnoir:**  first off if you're going to subject me to that torture ill have to choose something equally evil for your channel

**ladyluck:** scaredy cat

**chattychatnoir:** i believe its called survival instinct

**ladyluck:** definitely a scaredy cat

**chattychatnoir:** no comment

**ladyluck:** what are you going to force me to play

**chattychatnoir:** what a merciful subject change

**chattychatnoir:** thank you for your paw-ty

**ladyluck:** just answer the question

**chattychatnoir:** i had one in mind and then I thought of another one

**chattychatnoir:** so ill let you choose

**ladyluck:** not the pigeon game?

**chattychatnoir:** no, not the pigeon game

**chattychatnoir:** they're both cat games

**ladyluck:** chat

**ladyluck** : please I changed the subject for you be kind

**chattychatnoir:** one of them is cats and rabbits

**ladyluck:** chat thats bestiality

**chattychatnoir:** nono see halfway through they turn into people

**ladyluck** : um

**chattychatnoir:** would you prefer a generic cafe or south korea

**ladyluck:** why

**chattychatnoir:** okay trash magic or memory magic

**ladyluck:** chat im confused

**chattychatnoir:** one of them has a tsundere rabbit

**ladyluck:** what

**chattychatnoir:** tsun bun

**ladyluck:** why me

**ladyluck:** why do I have to collab with a pigeon fucker

**chattychatnoir:** im pawsitively offended

**chattychatnoir:** i have never fucked a pigeon

**ladyluck:** i beg to differ you have played through every single route of hatoful boyfriend

**chattychatnoir:** my lady how dare you

**chattychatnoir:** hatoful boyfriend is a work of art

**ladyluck:** sure

**ladyluck:** hang on my friend needs something

)|(

“How's the collab going?” Alya asked, peering over Marinette's shoulder with a smirk. Marinette quickly closed the Skype window before turning to face her friend.

“It's not. He hasn't chosen a game yet so nothing's really happening,” said Marinette. Behind her, the computer slipped into sleep.

“You guys are doing two different games, right?” Alya said, plopping down into a beanbag in the corner of the room.

“Yeah. I'm making him play a horror game and he's making me play a dating sim,” Marinette replied.

“Why don't you just record the horror game for now? That way the viewers don't have to wait too long for the collab to actually happen and he'll have more time to decide,” Alya suggested with a shrug.

“Yeah, that would work,” Marinette said. “Let me just tell Chat.”

“You guys are surprisingly friendly for only two days of talking,” Alya remarked as the clacking of keys filled the room.

“Really? I guess we just work well together,” Marinette mumbled, focused on the monitor.

“Mind if I quote that for the Ladyblog?” Alya asked, whipping out her phone.

“Actually, we're trying to keep it quiet so it's more of a surprise,” Marinette said, turning to fix her friend in a steady gaze.

“So, um, if someone were to hypothetically have already made an announcement on a popular blog…” Alya began.

“Then I would be very disappointed in the owner of said blog,” Marinette replied.

“I've got some bad news, Mari.”

Marinette chuckled, returning to the computer. “It's not a big deal. Don't post any details until we actually upload a video.”

“Your fans are anxious, girl,” Alya said, scrolling through the comments on her announcement post.

“Chat wants to record for his channel tomorrow, so they won't be anxious for long,”  Marinette reassured.

Alya grinned. “Perfect.”

)|(

_ ChattyChatNoir uploaded: PT Demo w/ LadyLuck _

“Bonjour, mes amis! Today, we have a very special guest here in spirit-” 

“Wait, why in spirit?”

“Because you're not actually in my apartment right now.”

“Yeah, but I'm still  _ here _ .”

“Fine. Today, we have a special guest actually here, not just in spirit! How about you introduce yourself to the viewers, my lady?”

“Hello,  _ coccinelles _ ! I'm Ladybug from LadyLuck, here to scare the pants off of Chat.”

“I mean we don't have to play  _ this _ game-”

“Chat, we're here to hear you scream. You are going to play this game.”

“Well, for that, we don't have to play any game.”

“AnywaysotodayChat’sgoingtobeplaying-”

“All right, Ladybug's making me play the Silent Hills PT Demo. My lady, this is animal cruelty.”

“It'll be fun!” 

“For you, maybe…”

-

“That is a very realistic cockroach.”

“Yeah, the graphics are excellent.”

“Sure, but why spend money animating a cockroach- oh. A pair of cockroaches. A very friendly pair of cockroaches.”

“Stop kinkshaming the cockroaches.”

“Rude.”

-

“204863? Is that important?”

“I’m not spoiling anything for you.”

“So it is important!”

It wasn’t.

-

“That is a very disturbing child.” Panic edged its way into Chat’s voice.

“Mhm.” Ladybug sounded way too cheerful for this game.

“How are you so calm right now?!”

“Experience, I guess.”

“Really?”

“Nah, I’m just better at controlling my voice. If you saw my face right now, you’d see I’m just as terrified as you.”

“Well, if you’re offering-”

“You are not going to see my face, chaton.”

-

“JESUS CHRIST ON A BICYCLE!”

“I warned you about the jumpscares, didn’t I?” She was too smug. Chat knew he shouldn’t have agreed to play a horror game.

“NO YOU DIDN’T!”

“My bad. So Chat, there are jumpscares in this-” 

“Well  _ now _ I know!”

-

“Ladybug?”

“Yeah?”

“Imagine I’m holding your hand right now.”

“Chat, I don’t need to have someone hold my hand right now.”

“Yeah, but I do.”

-

“Did it just crash?”

“I don’t know.”

“I just spent a good three hours screaming my ass off and this shit  _ crashes _ ?”

“Try restarting it.”

“Ladybug, I can’t play through all that again. I can’t.” He sounded close to tears.

“It’s gonna be fine, don’t worry. Just restart the game.”

“Listen-”

“It’s a fake crash.” 

“Oh, thank God.”

-

“So Chat, what’d you think of your first horror game?”

“You are going to suffer.”

“Please, a dating sim can’t possibly be that bad.”   


“You wanna go for the tsundere rabbit or yandere cat?”

“Okay well thanks for watching everyone we won’t be collabing anymore be sure to like comment and-”

“We’ll be back soon with Dandelion on Ladybug’s channel! Be sure to watch!”

“I am going to kill you, Chat Noir.”

)|(

**_Comments on: PT Demo w/ LadyLuck_ **

_ chittychat312 _

who knew chat was such a scaredycat lol

_ ladyofluck82 _

OTPPPPPPP DID YOU HEAR THEM FLIRTING

_ chatbug _

“i thought we were here to hear you scream”  ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)  well then ladybug

_ blackcat97 _

ok but ladybugs never this calm shes totally trying to impress chat

_ nevertoomuchyoutube _

theyre gonna play dandelion? yesssss pls do jieun route hes such a sweetie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm still playing around with how to write the videos, so this chapter is pretty dialogue heavy. let me know if it worked or if i should change it up in future chapters!


	3. 3

In retrospect, perhaps playing a horror game was a mistake.

Adrien could think of nothing else as he lay awake, staring at the shadows coiling across his ceiling, intricate black patterns promising jumpscares and death.

God, he couldn’t get that creepy monologue out of his head. Which pyscho had decided to not only include a distorted fetus, but also have it lecture the player in a demonic voice? It had been terrifying, and his mind was still replaying the lines like a broken record. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to ignore the coruscating shadows.

Something creaked. His eyes shot open. Ice spread over his body, freezing him in his bed, wrapped in sheets damp with the sweat of fear.

Oh god, it was coming, Lisa was coming, he was screwed he was gonna  _ die- _

_ Bzzzt. Bzzzt. Bzzzt. _

The buzz of his phone snapped him out of his terror. He reached across his bed, scrabbling on his nightstand for his glasses. He slid them onto his face before unlocking his phone and tapping the notification.

**_Calendar:_ ** _ MDC Photoshoot @ 9:30 AM _

He squinted at the too-bright screen. If the shoot was at 9:30, why did it send a reminder at- he peered at the digits in the corner of the screen- 3:46 AM? Ugh, it was too late to still be awake but too early to already be up.

Maybe if he was lucky, he could push the memories of PT away and get a few hours before the shoot.

)|(

“Hey, Adrien- whoa dude, you look dead.”

“Thanks, Nino,” he groaned, letting his head fall forward onto the small table.

“Man, I don’t think there’s a concealer out there powerful enough to cover those dark circles,” his assistant said, peering at his face. “Is there a reason you look like a zombie?”

“Horror games,” he grumbled. His assistant gave an understanding nod, leaning against the wall of the dressing room.

“The video freaked me out too, man. Don’t let Ladybug drag you into any more collabs like that.” After a particularly grueling twenty-four hour stream leading to a very unsatisfactory shoot, Adrien had told his assistant of his secret identity. He’d been pretty chill about it, even creating some intro and outro songs for him.

“No, no more horror games,” he grunted. 

“You gonna be awake enough for the shoot today? Dupain-Cheng’s got a reputation for letting models off easy, but…”

“Get me an espresso and I’ll be fine,” he mumbled, shooting Nino a small smile. He grinned back before dashing away to get his coffee.

Adrien let his eyelids drop, hoping to fit a short nap in before Nino returned and the shoot began. A soft knock ruined his plans. He let out a quiet groan, but plastered a smile on his exhausted face and turned to meet the interrupter.

“Sorry, am I disturbing you?” It was the designer- Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She looked kind enough, he supposed. Not kind enough to make up for wrecking his chances at a few more minutes of sleep. But models had to remain civil…

“No, not at all,” he said as cheerfully as he could manage. “Come in.”

She stepped into the room, leaning against the wall. Her large blue eyes darted over his face- she’d definitely seen the circles- before meeting his gaze.

“Are you okay?” she asked, biting her lip.

“Just peachy,” he said, willing his smile to stay. It was slipping fast; he was too tired to maintain a perky mask.

“Really?” she said skeptically. “How much sleep did you get last night?”

“Probably not enough,” he said, forcing a chuckle. She raised an eyebrow. “Okay, definitely not enough.”

“Any reason why?”

He didn’t want to admit to being a scaredy cat, so he simply shrugged. Thankfully, before she could attempt to continue the conversation, Nino poked his head into the room with-

Coffee. So much coffee. Nino was a blessing.

Nino came in, sidling past Mme. Dupain-Cheng as she stepped out. He handed one giant cup of coffee to Adrien and set the other one on the small table. Adrien began to chug the beverage. Nino deserved a raise for this, he really did. He said as much in between gulps of coffee.

“Man, it’s my job. I don’t need a raise for getting you coffee.”

“You’re an angel, dude. Angels deserve raises,” he said, already reaching for the second cup. Nino just laughed, watching him down the caffeine.

Those two cups were the only reason he was able to get through the shoot. It passed in a blur, punctuated by brief flashes and barked instructions. By the time it was over, his cheeks hurt from the fake smiles and his head ached from the caffeine still rushing through his veins.

He sat in front of the mirror in his dressing room, carefully wiping away the last dregs of makeup. it had been a ‘natural’ look this time, the sort that took dozens of products to make it look like there was nothing on his face at all. True to Nino’s prediction, they’d had to be especially heavy with the concealer to cover up the dark circles.

Footsteps padded into the room behind him, followed by a quiet cough. Dupain-Cheng again, he guessed.

“Look, I know being a model can be very stressful,” she began.

“Yeah?”

“I’m just saying, it may not be any of my business if someone stays up all night.”

“Is that so?”

“But it is my business if that someone is my model.”

“I’m fine, don’t worry about me,” he said, scrubbing the gel caking his brows away.

“Why were you up so late?” she pressed. She just wasn’t leaving it alone, was she? He’d noticed her concerned glances during the shoot. There was no point in trying to weasel away. He didn’t have the energy for it.

“Promise not to laugh?” he asked, looking away from the mirror to meet her gaze.

“Cross my heart,” she said, rolling her eyes. He chuckled.

“All right, I got spooked by a game and couldn’t sleep,” he admitted. She raised a hand to cover her giggle. “Hey, you promised not to laugh!”

“I’m not, I’m not,” she said between giggles.

“Yes, you are,” he said, pushing his lip out in an exaggerated pout.

“Okay, I am,” she confessed. “But not at you!” He raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, I’m laughing at you.”

“If you’re going to tease me, you can just leave,” he said, the tips of his ears burning. She shook her head.

“No, no, I’ll stop laughing,” she promised. “You know, I get scared pretty easily too.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I’ve had my share of sleepless nights. What always helps me, though, is watching a cartoon or something right after playing the game.”

“That really works?” he asked, intrigued. 

“If it doesn’t, I put on music while trying to sleep. If all else fails, I sleep with the lights on,” she said with a shrug. Sleeping with the lights on? Why didn’t he think of that?

“Thank you,” he said quietly, nodding before returning to the mirror.

“No problem,” she said, walking out of the room. “I take care of my models, especially the cute ones.”

Hang on, what?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> all of the things mari does is stuff i do when stuff freaks me out (i, too, am a scaredy cat). my go-to song is Quiet Nights by Catching Flies.
> 
> You guys i am having such trouble deciding which route to take in Dandelion if you have a strong opinion let me know it might influence my decision


	4. 4

Marinette sat back in her chair, adjusting her headphones one last time. It was 10 am on a Saturday morning, time for her weekly stream. Everything was up and running, and judging from the Twitch chat, everyone was pretty excited about the stream.

With a single click of the mouse, she was live.

“Hello,  _ coccinelles _ ! I’m back with another Saturday Stream, and today I’ll be playing Abzû!” she said brightly. Her screen showed a diver floating in a tranquil ocean.

It was a fairly simple game; all you had to do was direct the diver around and occasionally hit shift to grab onto a fish and ride it. Marinette relaxed, losing herself in the bright graphics and calming scenery. The chat followed suit; some of the viewers offered occasional tips, pointing out something she missed, but for the most part they just relaxed along with her.

Suddenly, Jagged Stone’s latest hit rang out. Marinette swore, frantically scrabbling across her desk for her phone.

“Sorry guys, it’s someone from work. The stream’ll be back in a second,” she promised, muting the stream. She accepted the call.

“Hello, Marinette Dupain-Cheng speaking.”

“Mme. Dupain-Cheng! This is Nino Lahiffe, Adrien Agreste’s assistant. I’m calling about some details for the autumn line photoshoot.”

“Which details would those be?” she asked. The chat was now full of people speculating what sort of work she did. She could barely hold back a snort; the current consensus was that she was a deepsea diver, much like the character from Abzû.

“Well, the design sketches indicate that feathers will be used in several of the clothes. Adrien’s allergic to feathers, is there a way around it?”

“They’re constructed using synthetic feathers, so that won’t be an issue. Was there anything else?” She hoped not. She really should get back to the stream as soon as possible.

“Nope, that was it. Thanks, man- I mean, Mme. Dupain-Cheng.”

“Just Marinette is fine, Nino. Have a good day,” she said, grinning.

“Gotcha. See you at the shoot.” He hung up. Marinette turned her mic back on.

“Hey guys, did you miss me?” she said, eyeing the chat. “Oh, so now I’m an Olympic weight lifter in real life? I’m flattered, but I’m not that strong.”

She was about to resume her game when a sudden flurry of messages from a single user flooded the chat.

**ChattyChatNoir:** im sure my lady is the strongest in the land

**ChattyChatNoir:** ladybugs can carry things 5,000 times heavier than them

**flippityflop:** pretty sure thats ants

**ChattyChatNoir:** your secrets safe with us

**ChattyChatNoir:** we’ll cheer for you at the next olympics

**keybored:** lmao chat thirsty af

**ChattyChatNoir:** we’ll be the purrfect supporters

Marinette shook her head, chuckling softly. “I won’t be at the Olympics, guys, but thanks for the encouragement. It’s good to know that you all will be behind me if I ever decide to change careers.”

She resumed the game, eyes occasionally flicking to the chat. Nothing much was happening, aside from her viewers pestering her about the next collab. Now that Chat Noir was in the chat, everyone had suddenly remembered that another video had been promised soon.

“No, I don’t know when we’ll be able to record Dandelion. I’ll be pretty busy the next few weeks with work stuff. No, I’m not an American secret agent trying to infiltrate the French government. Or an actress. Or François Hollande. You guys have the craziest ideas, don’t you?” she said with a laugh. It was always fun when her viewers tried to figure out who she was in real life. Most of their theories were outlandish enough that they didn’t threaten her privacy, although a few people had guessed too close for comfort.

**ChattyChatNoir:** im calling him to check

**ChattyChatNoir:** i have connections, you know

**lilbitofladynoir:** maybe chat is the president

“Chat, since you’re being so vocal in the chat, do you want to just join the stream?” Marinette asked. He responded immediately.

**ChattyChatNoir:** YES

**gamergirl88:** lmao

**ChattyChatNoir** : i mean, yeah sure why not ive got nothing better to do

Marinette chuckled as she paused the stream. She quickly set up Skype, calling Chat as soon as everything was working.

“Hello, my Lady.”

“Are you ready?” she said, mouse hovering over the button to start the stream again.

“Actually, I had an idea.” 

“Yeah?”

“You’re pretty busy the next few weeks, but you obviously have time now,” he began.

“I don’t think I like where this is going,” she said, taking her hand off the mouse.

“Why don’t we stream Dandelion now? You’re already at the computer and we have an audience on the edge of their seats.”

“Yeah, I’d rather not.”

“How can I purrsuade you?” he asked, a grin in his voice. She groaned, letting her head drop on the desk.

“You can stop making puns, for one thing.”

“But my Lady, puns are a paw-t of me.”

“And clumsiness is a part of me, but I can go a few hours without tripping,” she shot back. 

“You’re clumsy?” He sounded surprised.

“Positively maladroit.”

“You mean pawsit-”

“Chat Noir, if you finish that sentence, I’ll force you to play Outlast 2 with me when it comes out,” she threatened.

“Point taken. Are we playing Dandelion?”

“Fine, fine.” She exited Abzû before opening the dating sim. She’d downloaded it a few days ago, after the PT video had been uploaded. It had overwhemingly positive reviews, although the concept did not appeal to her at all. Why bother trying to date drawings when you worked with a cute, kind, and most importantly, real model?

Ahem. Not that she spent photoshoots gazing at him or anything. She definitely hadn’t daydreamed about a future with him and three kids and a hamster.

“Ladybug? You still there?” Chat’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Hm? Oh! Yeah, I’m here. So, are you just going to watch me play through the stream?” she asked.

“Yeah, that should work.”

“Great.” She began the stream again. The chat, seeing the new game up on the screen, began freaking out. “Actually, hang on. My friend’s going to kill me if she’s not watching us stream the collab.” She picked up her phone, shooting a quick text to Alya. A reply arrived instantaneously. Wow, that was a lot of exclamation marks.

“Friend?” Chat asked.

“Yeah, the girl who runs the Ladyblog. We’ve known each other since we were kids,” Marinette explained. “You know, I think she ships us.”

“Does she have any fic recs?”  
“What?”

“Nothing. Hey, let’s get started!”

Marinette rolled her eyes, noting the excited reactions in the chat. Alya’s username popped up, spamming a custom emote. She clicked the “New Game” option.

Immediately, guitar riffs and Korean lyrics filled her ears.

“Um-”

“Shhh, you have to hear the theme song,” Chat scolded. Marinette let out a huff, leaning back in her chair. She had to admit, it was pretty catchy, even if she couldn’t understand a word of it. She began nodding her head along to the beat.

The sudden ringing of her phone interrupted it.

“Dammit, if this is Nino again-” she hissed, snatching up her phone. “I have  _ got _ to get a separate phone for work-”

It wasn’t Nino.

It was Gabriel Agreste.

Gabriel Agreste, the man behind the legendary Agreste label and her inspiration to pursue a career in fashion, was calling  _ her _ .

“Holy shit,” she breathed, staring at her phone. “Holy  _ shit _ .”

“Ladybug? You okay?” Chat asked.

“I need to take this, sorry guys,” she said hurriedly. She didn’t even bother to pause the stream, bolting out of her chair and rushing into the hallway as she picked up.

“Hello, Marinette Dupain-Cheng speaking,” she said breathlessly.

“Mme. Dupain-Cheng. I believe you are working with my son,” Mr. Agreste said in a cold tone.

“Yes, he is contracted to model my upcoming autumn line,” she said. Was there an issue with that? She knew Adrien used to model exclusively for his father’s company, but a few years ago he had broken ties with him.

“I see. Take care of him.” 

“I’m sorry?”

“I look forward to seeing your designs, Mme. Dupain-Cheng.” That was all he said before hanging up. Marinette gaped, staring in confusion at her phone. What had that been about?

The screen lit up with a text from Nino.

_ Did you just get a weird phone call from Gabriel Agreste? _

She numbly opened the messaging app, typing out a quick reply before shutting off her phone. No more interruptions this stream.

She turned around, walking back into her recording room. Sliding into her chair, she carefully placed her headphones over her ears again.

“Sorry about that, that was a really important call,” she said. “There won’t be any more this stream, though.”

Surprisingly, there was no reply.

“Chat?”

**ladyblogger:** he got a phone call too

**ladyblogger:** also someone remind me to send him a list of fic recs later

Weird. What were the odds of her and Chat getting a sudden phone call during the same stream?

Maybe they should just end it for today, play Dandelion another time. She wasn’t sure she would be able to focus enough. She chewed her lip, thinking it through.

“Ladybug?” He was back. His voice sounded small.

“Yeah?”

“This actually might be a good place to end the stream for today.”

“You read my mind, chaton. We’ll just record Dandelion some other time. Bye for now, then,  _ coccinelles _ ,” she said before ending the broadcast.

“Can I ask who your important call was?” Chat said. His usual bravado was gone. He sounded kind of familiar without it.

“Just...someone from work,” she said, avoiding specifics. He gave a heavy sigh.

“Yeah, me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> will they ever get around to playing dandelion? who knows not me i just threw my plan for this fic out the window lmao  
> [tumblr](http://thehibiscusthief.tumblr.com)


	5. 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shoutout to people on tumblr who kept reblogging that "write three lines of your current project" post I hate you all but it's the only reason this is done  
> (school has been very hectic I'm sorry)

“Shit, where did I put it?” Marinette muttered, searching through the pile of stuff resting on her kitchen table. She had a shoot with Adrien Agreste in less than an hour and she couldn’t find her ID. Without it, there was no way she could get into the building they were using.

Sheafs of paper drifted to the floor as she tossed debris aside. Crumpled envelopes, stale cookie crumbs, and hair ties littered the black tiles. Her movements grew more frantic, rummaging through the mess with an energy fueled by desperation.

Finally, she felt the hard plastic of her ID. Her fingers closed around the small card and she drew it out with a relieved giggle. Now, all that was left was to get to the shoot location. She still had- she glanced at the clock- twenty minutes.

Twenty minutes?

Crap!

With a panicked squeak, Marinette dashed around the kitchen, yanking her briefcase off the bench by the door and snagging a croissant before all but sprinting out of her apartment. She raced down the hallway, skidding to a stop at the elevator. She prodded the down button with a speed only achievable through a career built on buttonmashing.

After what seemed like an eternity, but couldn’t have been less than a minute, the elevator  _ ding! _ ed and the doors slid open. Marinette bolted inside, hand already reaching for the rows of buttons that would take her to the lobby. The doors closed with a  _ click _ and she was soon descending.

When they opened again, Marinette calmly stepped out- she did  _ not _ run, definitely not, she was a dignified adult and was able to maintain her composure no matter how late she was going to be.

In any case, she made her way through the lobby and onto the street fairly quickly. The road was full of cars squeezed against each other, horns blaring and obscene gestures flying. Hailing a taxi wouldn’t get her anywhere on time today. Turning her head, she spared a quick glance towards the steps leading to the metro stop. It was packed with people. Not an option either.

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes. There was only one way to get to work.

She would have to sprint.

Her eyes snapped open as she took off, briefcase banging against her side. All thoughts of composure were forgotten, obscured by her objective of being on time just this once. She raced through the city, more than once weaving her way through the backed-up traffic filling the streets. She could do it. It was only a few miles away from her apartment.

Skidding around a corner, she caught sight of the office building. She was almost there. Just a few more blocks and then she would be perfectly punctual. Newfound determination flared in her eyes. Her feet moved faster and faster, slamming against the pavement and pushing her forward. Storefronts flashed by her, blurred by her speed. Closer, closer, closer, she was three blocks away, two blocks away, one block, dashing through the front door-

And tripping on the entrance mat, sending her sprawling across the polished floor.

“Miss, are you okay-”

“I’m fine!” she chirped, hastily standing up and brushing off her skirt. The security guard who had stepped forward hesitated before nodding and sitting back at his desk. Marinette walked briskly to the elevator, face flaming. She knew her luck had been too good to last; her clumsiness was bound to have kicked in eventually.

She slipped into an elevator and immediately jabbed a button. The shoot was on the seventh floor in a former office suite. The numbers above the doors ticked by slowly, too slow for her to get there in time if she walked. Sighing, she slipped off her heels; this final stretch would take her fastest sprint. She crouched down in a runner’s starting position, ready for the  _ ding!  _ that would signal the last stretch of her race.

Fourth floor…

Fifth floor…

Sixth floor…

Seventh floor!

_ Ding! _

Marinette swept past a startled businessman who had been peacefully waiting for the elevator. His surprised shriek echoed after her as she tore down the carpeted hallway. Right here, straight there, now a left, now another left, now a right- no, wait, now straight- and there!

She paused outside the door to the office, sliding her feet back into her shoes and smoothing down her rumpled blouse. She tucked a few stray strands of hair back into her bun. Taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart, she reached out and opened the door.

She was not prepared for the pure chaos inside.

-)|(-

“WHAT DO YOU  _ MEAN  _ THERE ARE FEATHERS? YOU EXPECT MY ADRIKINS TO WEAR  _ FEATHERS? _ DO YOU  _ KNOW _ ABOUT HIS  _ ALLERGIES _ ?” a blonde girl shrieked at Nino. His face was pulled into an irritated frown and he was hiding behind a clipboard flecked with spittle.

“Chloé, the designs have false feathers-”

“DID YOU JUST REFER TO ME BY MY FIRST NAME? HOW DARE YOU! I AM MME BOURGEOIS AND YOU WILL ADDRESS ME AS SUCH!” she ranted, shaking a yellow-painted finger at him. Nino rolled his eyes, deftly blocking a particularly vile spray of saliva with the clipboard.

“Mademoiselle Bourgeois. The feathers are fake. Adrien-” she puffed up, about to start another tirade- “Monsieur Agreste, that is, will be fine.”

“How do you know they're fake?” she said with a sneer, crossing her arms. “These ugly designs would only be worth anything with real feathers.” As if to prove her point, she reached out to a jacket hanging on a rack and yanked off a handful of feathers, leaving a large bare patch. Raising a disdainful eyebrow, she opened her fist and let them drift to the floor

Marinette saw red. Closing her gaping jaw shut with an audible click, she marched forward and grabbed the girl's wrist.

“How dare you!” the blonde squealed. “Don't you know who I  _ am?” _

“Madam, all that matters right now is that you have ruined my design, screamed at my employee, and gained access to an area in which you have no business,” Marinette hissed through clenched teeth. The girl gave an insouciant toss of her head before wrinkling her nose and peeling Marinette's fingers off of her wrist.

“My father  _ will _ hear about this,” she snapped. She strutted over to a stunned Adrien, patting his cheek and murmuring something into his ear. He smiled awkwardly and gave her a quiet goodbye.

Marinette stood, silently fuming, hand still clutching empty air.

“Someone had better explain themselves,” she growled, glaring at the ruined jacket.

Adrien hesitantly cleared his throat. “It's… my fault,” he mumbled.

Marinette plastered a saccharine smile on her face, turning to face him. “Would you care to elaborate?”

Adrien visibly paled.

“Woah, Marinette, calm down,” Nino blurted as he quickly stepped in front of her. He held his hands up in a placating gesture. “Adrien didn't do it intentionally.”

“Do  _ what _ intentionally?”

“Uh, well, you see…” Nino stammered. Adrien sighed before stepping forward,  placing a hand on Nino's shoulder and giving him a brief smile.

“I really am sorry, Marinette. Chloé's a good friend and she was curious about your designs so I figured it couldn't hurt to bring her up here,” he apologized. Marinette closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and counting to ten.

“Nino, please explain to your model why letting people see unreleased designs is a bad idea. I am going to get a coffee and a muffin and when I come back I do not want to have any more reasons to kill someone. Am I understood?” Marinette said slowly. Her words were strained, betraying her anger.

Both men meekly nodded. Marinette spun on her heel and stalked out the door she had almost burst through only a minute before.

After such a morning, she needed some stress relief. Pulling out her phone as she made her way back to the elevators, she sent Chat Noir a quick message:

**ladyluck:** stream dandelion tonight?

A loud  _ thump _ echoed down the hall. Weird.

**chattychatnoir:** of course, my lady

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> two things:  
> -mari is a badass who can totally run in heels  
> -while writing that part the image of her Naruto running popped into my head and I fucking lost it so if someone could draw the dorks doing that (or anything from my fic hinthint) I would be ecstatic


	6. 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SORRY FOR THE WAIT BETWEEN CHAPTERS HAVE THIS IM LATE TO BALLET

**Ladybug** _@ladyluck_

someone kill me i have to flirt with rabbits tonight

 

 **Chat Noir** _@chattychatnoir_

@ladyluck would you rather flirt with a cat?

 

 **Alya Césaire** _@ladyblogofficial_

@ladyluck @chattychatnoir oh my god ohhhh my god oh my godddddd just kiss already you dumb fucks

 

_Calling: biggest fan_

“Alyaaaaaa!”

“What? You two need to get it together and get together, girl.”

“Oh my _God.”_

 _“_ Do I need to make use of the official email again?”

“Goodbye, Alya.”

“What the- hey! You called _me!”_

)|(

 **chattychatnoir:** my lady im flattered

 **ladyluck** : ?

 **chattychatnoir:** im happy you finally confronted your feelings for me

 **ladyluck** : excuse me?

 **chattychatnoir:** i never would have thought adrien agreste himself would be the elusive ladybug

 **ladyluck:** chat what the fuck are you talking about

 **chattychatnoir:** was that email not from you?

 **ladyluck:** WHAT EMAIL

-

 **chattychatnoir:** are we playing dandelion?

-

 **chattychatnoir:** hello?

-

 **chattychatnoir:** are you still killing your friend?

)|(

 **LadyLuck is now streaming** : My Death on Stream ft. Chat Noir

“Chat, are you ready?”

“I’m good. Let’s get started!”

“All right. Hey, _coccinelles_ , this is Ladybug and Chat Noir and today we’ll be streaming Dandelion: Wishes brought to you. Chat, can you fill them in on the game?”

“Of course, My Lady. It’s a dating sim where you flirt with cats and bunnies and halfway through the game they miraculously turn into hot guys!”

“I would just like to point out that you guys forced me to play this.”

“Come on, Bugaboo, it’ll be fun!”

“Isn’t that what I said when you played PT?”

“All right, so we have different definitions of fun…”

-

“Wow, that is some creepy purple text.”

“It’s the wiz- I mean, the narrator.”

“I thought the narrator was the plain text?”

“Okay, so it’s not the narrator. It is unknown at this point in the game though, so I can’t tell you anything more.”

“Not even a hint, chaton?”

“Did you give me hints during your hellish game?”

“Fair point.”

-

“...why are there five animals in my apartment?”

“You see the spotted rabbit in the corner? That’s who you’re gonna try to date.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

-

“So I just click a room and hope I get the spotted rabbit?”

“Yep. Jiwoo’s in the bedroom right now, so if you click there and choose the right activity, you should be able to interact with him.”

_Click, click._

“Damn, it’s the black cat.”

“Jisoo? All right, reload the save.”

“What?”  
“You quicksaved, right?”

“...isn’t that cheating?”

“Not in this game. Okay, just get through this interaction, then quick save. If Jiwoo doesn’t interact with you, reload until he does.”

“Chat, that seems…”

“It’s a necessary evil, My Lady. You just gotta accept it and move on.”

“All right, all right. Where do I pet Jisoo?”

 **saltonice:** i bet theres another black cat who wants to be petted by ladybug

 **djturtle:** bro

“Chat?”

“Hmm? Oh! Anywhere’s fine, it doesn’t matter.”

“Okay.”

“Don’t forget to quicksave!”

“Okay.”

)|(

Marinette was having fun. The game was actually entertaining and she soon found her sarcastic commentary peppered with sincerity. As she carefully wooed the spotted rabbit, she became more and more invested in the game, almost forgetting the outside world existed.

“Chat, the purple text is back- did you read it, or did I?”

“Oh, it was me. Ahem- _Hmm...you’ve finally made your decision.”_

“We’ve literally been pursuing the same rabbit the entire time. This decision is not a recent thing.”

“Hush, he’s trying to be suspenseful. _Aren’t you feeling a little down? The climax of the game is just beginning_.”

“Well _that’s_ not creepy at all.”

“Shhh! _Good night, my heroine. I hope you like the present I have for you_ .”

“Is he dropping off more animals? Am I going to have to go through this bullshit again? Do you think I’ll actually buy a litterbox this time?”

Chat chuckled, pausing in his lines. “The main character never did get proper pet supplies, did she?”

“She literally poisoned her pets by accident because she didn’t buy pet food.”

“I don’t know, her attempt at dinner didn’t sound too bad…”

“Would you be like Jisoo and just fall into the bowl?”

“Of course! I’d do everything I could to be closer to food.”

“You should change your channel from Chat Noir to Cochon Noir.”

“How rude! You should change yours from Ladybug to Peasantbug with an attitude like that.”

“Ah, but then you couldn’t call me your Lady anymore, cochon.”

“I could still use Bugaboo.”

“I’m not your bugaboo!”

“Be quiet, a cutscene’s starting!”

Marinette grinned, leaning back in her chair. Her banter with Chat definitely added to the entertainment value of the game. The voices he did for the characters were also hilarious, especially the falsetto he adopted for the main character.

_“Wha-what? How can the blanket move by itself?”_

“Oh, I’m green, right? _D-d-don’t come near me!”_ she yelled in a panicked voice.

“Well, shit.”

That wasn’t Chat. Marinette whirled around. Her door was slightly opened and through the crack she could see a gloved hand resting on the doorknob.

“Who the hell are you?” she yelped, yanking her headphones off. The hand pushed the door open and a man stepped inside. His face was uncovered; if only she had a facecam. Then not only would the break-in be caught on audio, but also on video.

“Do you really think I’d just reveal everything?” he said, tucking his hands in his pockets. “This isn’t a TV show or something.”

“Why are you in my house?”

“Did you not just hear me?” he said, rolling his eyes. “If you’re this dense, I can easily see how you pissed off my employer.”

“Your employer?”

“Anyway,” he continued, “you weren’t supposed to be home today. It’s a shame, really. Everything was so wonderfully planned out.”

Marinette shot a quick glance at the chat; the man hadn’t yet noticed the stream. Chat must be freaking out right now. The chat was filled with panicked viewers who weren’t sure if this was false drama or actually happening.

“Is there any way I can get you to forget you were supposed to break into my home? I’ve got money...” Marinette trailed off. She shifted her weight ever so slightly forward.

The man tilted his head, looking up at the ceiling as he considered it. “Mmm, nah. I’m pretty well off myself, even if I’m not a famous designer.”

Shit. If this went on, he could reveal her identity on stream. She had to do something.

“Besides, what good is money if an angry employer tries to track me down?” he shrugged. “It’s not worth- ow!”

Marinette sprung up from her chair, using her momentum to deliver a solid strike with the heel of her hand to the middle of his face. Cupping his broken nose, the intruder glared at her.

“You bitch!” he growled. He took a step forward, about to attack, but Marinette brought her fist around. It connected with his jaw with a loud _crack!_. His eyes glazed over and he slumped to the floor.

Marinette stood in the middle of the room, panting. It had only been a few seconds, but the brief conflict felt like it had taken ages. She slowly lowered herself back into her desk chair.

 **victuuri** : omg is ladybug ok

 **ladyblogger:** GIRL

 **ladyblogger** : MARI

 **ladyblogger:** I WILL CALL THE POLICE IF YOU DON’T SAY SOMETHING

“I’m okay, I’m okay,” she muttered. “Headphones are still off, but I’m okay. I knocked him out. It’s fine, it’s okay…”

She numbly reached for her phone. “I’m just- I’m gonna call the police. Stream, um, stream’s over for today. Thanks guys.”

She ended the stream before dialing the police.

“Hello? This is Marinette Dupain-Cheng, I’d like to report a break-in…”

She didn’t even notice the small Skype window still open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> post ballet edit: I've always headcanoned mari as someone who knows her self-defense even if she hasn't had much chance to put it into practice


	7. 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TWO CHAPTERS IN LESS THAN A WEEK I FEEL SO PRODUCTIVE  
> also i totally meant to say this last chapter but HOLY FUCK I HAVE OVER 150 COMMENTS AND 400 KUDOS THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH I CANT BELIEVE SO MANY OF YOU LIKE THIS FIC

“Hello? This is Marinette Dupain-Cheng, I’d like to report a break-in…”

Adrien froze. His cursor was hovering over the button to end the Skype call, about to click.

Oh, this was bad.

Ladybug had made it clear she wanted to remain anonymous, but she had just revealed herself by accident. Right after a break-in, no less.

Adrien slumped back in his chair. Should he pretend he hadn’t heard anything and continue on with the collab as if nothing had happened? No, that wouldn’t be right. He should tell her as soon as possible. The reveal was his fault; if he’d only ended the call a second earlier, Ladybug’s identity would be safe.

Now was not the time, however. She would have police all over her house. The revelation would not go well. Tomorrow morning at the shoot would be better. Then she would be calmer.

No, best to tell her on the phone. He wanted to do the right thing, but he was still terrified of how she would take it. She’d already knocked one man out, who was to say she wouldn’t do the same to him?

Resolute, Adrien stood up from his chair, turning off his computer. It was late; the stream had gone on for hours, even though they had just reached the reveal in the game. It was ironic, really. A fictitious reveal eclipsed by a factual one. They had been looking forward to finally seeing Jiwoo’s human form, too...

He padded out of the recording room, heading to his kitchen. He grabbed a croissant and a glass of water before going to bed

)|(

Marinette stared at her monitor, mouth hanging open.

She’d been discovered.

**LADYBUG REVEALED?**

ok you guys i know this sounds crazy but hear me out:

ladybug is marinette dupain-cheng

that’s right, our beloved badass youtube queen is one and the same as the famous fashion designer

  * look see yesterday on stream her house was broken into and she knocked his ass out, right?
  * marinette dupain-cheng’s house was also broken into
  * and according to this, she also knocked his ass out
  * but theres more
  * in the chat, ladyblogger, the only one who knows ladybugs true identity, called ladybug “mari”
  * as in MARInette (screenshot)
  * and
  * and
  * when ladybug offered the robber dude money
  * he said he didn’t need it “even if [he’s] not a famous designer” (twitch stream, 6:18:00 ish)
  * here is an interview from marinette dupain-cheng and here is some audio from one of ladybugs announcement videos idk about you but they sound pretty similar to me



so yeah we finally know who ladybug is!!! im so happy you guys

_16,254 notes_

This was bad.

No one would ever want to buy her designs again. Who would want to wear something made by a YouTuber? Her career was ruined! No models would want to associate themselves with someone like her, especially not Adrien!

_Bzzzt. Bzzzt. Bzzzt._

Marinette glanced at her phone, lying facedown on her desk. That was probably Alya calling to comfort her or tell her to stay off of social media. With a sigh, she reached over to pick her phone up. She was not in the mood for conversation right now. Turning it over to decline the call, she blinked. Speak of the devil...

It was Adrien.

She tapped the screen, declining the call anyway. If she couldn’t even handle a conversation with a  friend, how was she supposed to handle one with a coworker?

_Bzzzt. Bzzzt. Bzzzt._

It was Adrien again. Growing irritated, she hit decline again. Maybe she should just turn off her phone.

_Bloop!_

**chattychatnoir:** please pick up

Marinette frowned. Chat hadn’t tried to call her on Skype. Why was he telling her to pick up?

 **chattychatnoir:** ladybug its important

 **chattychatnoir** : its about your identity

So he’d seen the post. Hardly surprising. Half of the reblogs tagged him.

 **chattychatnoir:** im gonna call again please pick up this time

_Bzzzt. Bzzzt. Bzzzt._

Adrien again. Why did he keep calling her? They were close for coworkers, sure, but they were hardly friends.

She was about to decline it yet again when another message came in.

 **chattychatnoir:** PICK UP THE DAMN PHONE PLEASE

She looked at the phone in her hand. How had he known…

She accepted the call.

“Hello?” she said uncertainly.

“My Lady-”

“Excuse me? Is this some kind of joke?” she said, beginning to scowl.

“No- Marinette, listen-”

“Yes. I’m Ladybug. Yes, I have a Youtube channel where I play horror games and mess around with dating sims and generally make a fool of myself. Yes, my career is ruined. You don’t have to rub it in by impersonating one of my best friends!” she snapped.

“You flatter me, My Lady.”

“I’m not flattering you, asshole, I’m flattering Chat Noir!” she yelled into the phone. Adrien went silent.

 **chattychatnoir:** you’re being very rude right now

 **ladyluck:** how the fuck would you know

 **chattychatnoir:** well you see im on the phone with you right now

Marinette froze. But…she was on the phone with Adrien…

“Chat Noir?” she asked timidly.

“The one and only.”

“Oh my God…”

“Surpurrised?”

“Oh my _God_ …” She let her head fall onto her desk with a loud thump.

“Uh, you okay?” A note of concern edged its way into his voice.

“Just peachy,” she mumbled into the desk.

“I accidentally found out who you were yesterday and I thought I should tell you as soon as possible.”

“You saw the tumblr post?”

A beat of silence.

“What tumblr post?”

The faint sound of keys clacking came from the phone, followed by a loud curse.

“They didn’t!”

“They did,” she muttered.

“So first someone breaks into your apartment and now everyone knows your identity? What kind of bullshit is this?” he exclaimed.

“...how did you figure it out if you didn’t see the post?”

“You kind of left the Skype call going when you called the police…”

She groaned. Of course she be so stupid as to say her full name while Chat was listening.

“Well, if anyone tries to be a jerk because of it, the Agreste name stands behind you,” he declared. A small smile snuck onto Marinette’s lips. She may not be close to Adrien, but throughout the collab Chat had grown on her.

It was good to have a friend on her side.

)|(

“Mademoiselle, I have some good news and I have some bad news,” a man muttered into a phone.

“Tell me,” a sharp voice ordered. He grimaced. What a drama queen; she would doubtless be infuriated.

“Our man got caught-” he began.

“What? That incompetent fool!” she shrieked. He winced. Too loud, too shrill.

“But it’s been revealed that the target is in fact the YouTuber Ladybug,” he finished.

She didn’t say anything.

“Hello? Mademoiselle-”

“Yes, I’m still here,” she snapped. “I’m just thinking. God, Jacques, can’t you give me a second to think?”

“My apologies, Mademoiselle.” He rolled his eyes. Brat, brat, such a damn brat.

He waited for her to speak again. One minute passed by, then two, then three. How long was she going to think?

“I’ve got it!” she squealed. Ow, ow, ow, what a damn pain. In the ass, in the neck, especially in the ears.

“Yes, Mademoiselle?” he said, trying to cover up the disdain in his voice with false politeness.

“We’re going to trash her reputation. Get me interviews with all the tabloids.”

“Mademoiselle, that’s hardly in my power-” he started.

“I wasn’t talking to you! I was talking to my assistant. You’re just as incomptent as the idiot who got caught,” she sniffed. “Goodbye, Jacques. Your money will be in your bank account.”

She hung up first. He stared at the flipphone in his hand for a second, before snapping it in half and tossing it into the nearest trash bin. Some jobs paid well but just weren't worth the bitchy employers...

 


	8. 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> have some meaningless fluff and a very annoyed nino

Nino was frazzled, to say the least.

For some reason, every single one of his friend’s 10.8 million subscribers had decided to mob the shoot location. All wearing LadyLuck and Chat Noir shirts. And screaming about their OTP. Loudly.

Really, where was security when you needed them?

“Ex _cuse_ me!” a voice shrieked. Nino let his head drop onto his clipboard. Could this day get any worse? “You! Clipboard boy! Where is my Adrikins?”

Deep breaths. It was just one person. One horribly blond, horribly rude, horribly horrible person.

“Mme. Bourgeouis, he called in sick today. As did the designer and what appears to be every security guard in the building. Was there something you needed?” he said through gritted teeth.

“I _need_ to talk to Adrikins! I know you’re hiding him in there! Let me IN!” she yowled. Nino winced. Some people could sing high enough to shatter glass; Chloe could screech loud enough to shatter sanity.

“He. Is. Not. Here.” Nino’s fingers clutched the clipboard as if it were his last refuge in a world gone mad. Chloe drew in a breath, preparing another volley of eardrum-splitting complaints.

_Brrrrring! Brrrring! Brrrring!_

Instantly, she switched demeanors. She plucked her phone from her purse, beaming at the screen before picking up.

“Hello, Adrikins! Will you come out already? Your employee keeps telling me you aren’t here!”

She was silent for a moment, listening to whatever Adrien had to say. Nino took the opportunity to begin slinking away.

“What do you _mean_ you’re sick? I’ll be right there with chicken noodle soup- what? What. Oh, that’s funny! Leave the jokes to the comedians, though- WHAT?” She was back to shrieking. Nino sighed, pulling his hat down in a futile attempt to escape the tantrum.

“YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT YOU ARE OVER AT _THAT PERSON’S_ HOME?” It was impressive, Nino reflected, on how much venom Chloe could inject into just two words.

“We will talk about this later,” she hissed, before angrily tapping the screen and ending the call. She looked up, gaze zeroing in on Nino. “Clipboard boy. Get me a latte.”

“I’m sorry, that’s not in my job description. However, telling you to go fuck yourself is,” he said with a cheerful grin, eyes focused on his clipboard. He raised his head when a sound like the first rumblings of an avalanche began.

He took one look at her expression and bolted.

 _Really,_ where was security when you needed them?!

)|(

Marinette looked up from her book when Adrien reentered the room. “Who was that?”

“Oh, just Chloe,” he sighed, tapping his phone against his thigh. “She’s being rather-”

“Don’t say it-” Marinette warned.

“Melodra _meow_ tic,” he finished with a grin. Marinette groaned, flopping sideways onto her couch.

“I thought the bad puns were just part of the persona,” she whined. Adrien lifted her legs up, sitting down before letting them plop onto his lap.

“Nope, they’re here to stay,” he said. Marinette wrinkled her nose, lightly knocking him in the ribs with a socked foot. He chuckled, placing a hand on her feet. He didn’t miss her sharp intake of breath. Looking over, a devilish grin spread across his face.

“My Lady, are you-”

“Don’t!” she protested. His grin widened and he began to poke at one of her feet. She drew her legs up, curling into a ball.

“You’re ticklish!” he exclaimed. She tucked her feet between the couch cushions.

“No ‘m not,” she said into the couch. A gleeful chuckle told her he didn’t believe her.

“Chat, please-”

“Would you rather record Dandelion or be tickled?” he asked. She blinked. That was a sudden change of topic. Poking her head out of her ball, she raised an eyebrow at him. He shrugged.

“I mean, we’re taking the day off of work, so we might as well,” he said, cocking his head.

“I’d rather not, after the whole identity thing…” Adrien’s eyes widened. He’d forgotten about it, hadn’t he?

“Oh, sorry! Of course, that makes sense,” he said, stumbling over his words. “Um, do you just want to read, then?”

She pulled herself up into a sitting position, looking around for the book that had been abandoned by her tickle defense measures. A corner poked out from under the couch. She reached down to pick it up when a spider began to make its way across the cover.

She jumped back with a squeak. Adrien snorted, but when she looked up he was pressed into the corner of the couch, as far away from the spider as he could get.

“No reading?” he asked.

“No reading. Um…there is a cupcake recipe I’ve been wanting to try. Wanna help me with that?”

“Sure!”

)|(

It would have been nice, Marinette reflected as she watched cupcake batter slowly gather and drip off of the ceiling, if Adrien had told her that he’d never made cupcakes before.

A drop landed on her forehead, making her flinch.

Of course, she couldn’t exactly fault him. From what she’d heard, Gabriel Agreste was a strict man, not allowing his son many freedoms. And that phone call from him had been terrifying. But even so…

“So, um, how does one go about cleaning a ceiling?” Adrien asked, peering up. A rubber spatula was clutched in his hand, batter pooling at the edges and falling to the floor in long strings.

Marinette glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and burst out laughing. She couldn’t help it! An actual model, the most gorgeous and kindest one she’d ever met, was standing in her tiny, cluttered kitchen, dressed in a stained, flowery pink apron with ladybugs speckled throughout and holding a messy pink spatula in hands clasped around it like he was praying to a higher power with his gaze fixed on the blob of unbaked cupcake adorning her ceiling.

His affronted expression once he realized what exactly she found so amusing only made her laugh even harder.

“I’m s-sorry,” she wheezed. “You just look so- so- oh my God-”

He looked down at himself, taking in the apron and general mess. He raised his eyes to meet her gaze and grinned.

Then, he did something absolutely ridiculous-

He struck a pose.

Marinette was sure her laughter could be heard by every single fan scattered across the world.

It would have been really nice if it hadn’t been heard by the pissed-off blonde hammering at her door.

**Author's Note:**

> stop by my [tumblr](http://thehibiscusthief.tumblr.com/)


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